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Maintaining a healthy diet can be tiring, especially when many of us tend to crave high-carb foods like bread and pasta. And most healthy meal plans tell you to limit the amount of pasta you eat to prevent overloading carbs too frequently.
But what if we told you there is a type of pasta you can eat every week, without hurting your diet?
According to dietitian and food blogger Megan Byrd, The Oregon Dietitian, we should all be eating chickpea pasta.
She explained “Chickpea pasta is a great alternative to wheat-based pasta because it's higher in fiber, protein, and healthy starches. It also is much lower in carbohydrates and is gluten-free. All of these things make chickpea pasta more filling than regular pasta, which means fewer cravings during the day.”
Byrd explained that eating chickpea pasta can not only help you maintain a healthy weight, but it can even aid in weight loss. As she explained, this is because “chickpea pasta is also less processed and typically contains less artificial additives than regular pasta.”
As it turns out, there are actually quite a few health benefits of chickpeas that may surprise you.
Certified Nutrition Coach Elliot Reimers told us that chickpeas are packed with an array of healthy nutrients.
“They’re a good source of protein and fiber that can curb your appetite, making them particularly beneficial when you’re trying to lose weight,” Reimers explained. “They contain vitamins and minerals and have a low glycemic index, which helps keep your blood pressure under control. They’re also anti-inflammatory, given the antioxidants they contain.”
Next time you’re scanning the pasta aisle, keep an eye out for chickpea pasta. There are quite a few brands that offer these products, including Chickapea, Banza and Barilla.
And, it doesn’t hurt to start incorporating chickpeas into more meals each week. You can add chickpeas to salads and soups, or even make a great snack with chickpeas by turning them into hummus.
